The National Institute of Mental Health says this: “Mental health includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, act, make choices, and relate to others. Mental health is more than the absence of a mental illness—it’s essential to your overall health and quality of life. Self-care can play a role in maintaining your mental health and help support your treatment and recovery if you have a mental illness.”
Self-care could mean different things to different people, but the essence of it is making time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical and mental health. There is no more doubt at this point that self-care helps us manage stress, reduce the risk of illness and increase energy levels.
No act is too small to have a big impact and today I wanted to share some helpful tips in your self-care journey:
SURROUND YOURSELF WITH MORE EMPOWERING PEOPLE
Choose to spend more time with people that are in large part, positive. People who uplift you, who choose to be there for you.
And the same can be said about severing ties with those who aren’t able to bring that level of energy into your life… the naysayers, the gossipers, and negativists. Believe me when I say: You don’t need them!
GO FOR A WALK (daily if possible)
Not only is this great for maintaining a healthy body weight, but walking helps prevent or manage various conditions including heart disease and blood pressure.
DE-CLUTTER YOUR SPACE
Clear space does = clear mind. Forget the “discovering of lost treasures” part, de-cluttering also helps clear your space of allergens, it can improve sleep, reduce stress and anxiety, plus boost productivity and creativity.
PRACTICE THE PHYSIOLOGICAL SIGH
What if I told you that most of us don’t know how to breathe right and make the most of our oxygen intake? And what if I told you that the deep breaths IN we’ve been taught to practice in order to manage stress, are in fact achieving the opposite? I wrote a very powerful blog post where this was mentioned (see tip #8) and I highly encourage you to check it out.
STRETCH YOUR BODY DAILY
Even if it’s just for 2 minutes. Stretching improves posture, helps reduce or manage stress, helps your joints move through their full range of motion and enables muscles to work effectively while reducing muscular tension and enhancing muscular relaxation.
GET REGULAR EXERCISE
Even if it’s a quick 10-minute dancing session in the morning, or 30 minutes of yoga on the weekend. Small amounts of exercise add up and they will absolutely make a difference.
GET A MASSAGE
How many fancy coffee drinks could you spare per month, in order to give yourself the gift of a massage instead?
EAT HEALTHY, BALANCED, AND REGULAR MEALS & DON'T FORGET TO STAY HYDRATED
A balanced diet and plenty of water (ideally the equivalent of half your body weight in fluid ounces of water on a daily basis) can improve energy levels and focus throughout the day. Not to mention, there’s a greatly added skin health element bonused here as well.
MAKE SLEEP A PRIORITY
Lowering the lights 1-2 hours before bedtime, turning on the red screen feature on your phone (since the blue light signals your brain to remain alert) and sticking to a regimented wind-down/go-to-bed schedule, will make a world of difference. More tips on how to maximize the number of hours & quality of your sleep, here.
PRACTICE GRATITUDE
I like to start the day and end the day by listing in my head a few things that I’m grateful for. There’s always more than meets the eye when it comes to the things we should hold gratitude for and reminding ourselves of that (even when it's really hard), will help bring an air of positive energy into our lives. And when thinking of what you're grateful for, be specific.
STAY CONNECTED WITH YOUR LOVED ONES
There will always be plenty to do and not enough hours in the day, but reaching out to the people you love and staying connected with them, helps us feel included and cared for, which in turn will have a positive impact on our mental health.
TRY A RELAXING ACTIVITY EVERY WEEK
Though it’s yoga, meditation, journaling, taking a bath or doing progressive muscle relaxation exercises. I challenge you to do something labeled "relaxing" on a weekly basis.
BETTER PRIORITIZE YOUR "TO DO" LIST
In other words: “Do you really think you’ll accomplish all 50 tasks you wrote down this week?” Being overzealous has its drawbacks, and the toll on mental health is one of them. Over the past 5 years while creating VREA, my daily to-do’s listed things no three people could accomplish in one day. Granted, since I’m the founder/CEO/product conceptualizer & supervisor/marketing director/social media coordinator/sales exec/email specialist/blogger/photographer/editor & talent … I do tend to feel really overwhelmed. Long story short, the fact that one has to do the job of 10 has made me lose sleep at night and resulted of course in the overcrowding of my to-do list. I ultimately realized (not soon enough though) that doing this not only looks and feels overwhelming, it certainly makes matters worse. So my advice to you? Put time frames next to each task and give yourself an hour buffer on a daily basis. If you see that not all tasks will fit in one day, prioritize them; and the least priority ones will have to get pushed to next day. It just is what it is my friend! And that’s OK! We got this!
The self-care journey looks different for everyone, but it’s a journey we’re all on it together. It may take time to figure out exactly how that looks like for you, and there may also be some trial and error needed to discover what works best for you. The key is not giving up. Adjusting. Making modifications. Keep moving forward, and the rest will follow.
And lastly, understanding what triggers your stress and anxiety as well as not waiting until symptoms are overwhelming is also key. Knowing when to seek professional help matters. We are rooting for you always!